1-5-3-6-2-4
Member
Well, no. Suncor Voyager is right across the highway. Which is why I asked. Thanks for the snide remarks. And believe me you couldn't pay me enough to work for an Exxon operation.
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Operator's Wages
- Thread starter digger242j
- Start date
Well, no. Suncor Voyager is right across the highway. Which is why I asked. Thanks for the snide remarks. And believe me you couldn't pay me enough to work for an Exxon operation.
1-5-3-6-2-4
Member
actually, do you really believe the journeyman rate is more than pennies different. Its not. $2,000 difference on retention, on $120,000 base wages. please. Don't argue semantics. My roommate is Syncrude Instrumentation I know their gig. 2 HET friends are on with Imperial now at Kearl. I know their gig too. Doesn't matter where you're at up here, it all washes out in the end.
Well, yes, Syncrude IS right across the highway. On one side of the highway is Syncrude's south east pond, and on the other side is one of Suncor's ponds. Remember, there's more highway out there than the bit that's at the main gate. If you wanted to make even more money, then you could go a bit further up the highway to Shell, they have the highest wages around for operations.
Yes, in the end, it's really not much different, but there IS a difference. I'm an operator, may base wage is 56.76 an hour, that's more than pennies difference as you state from the 55.09. Like I mentioned, we don't have the union dues to pay, and we also don't have to lose money to strikes. Not to mention being held back by union rules. The extra $2000 a year is also nice, but it's nice to see they've upped your retention, since it was considerably lower last go round. I have family in management on your side of the road, so I do know a bit of what goes on over there.
Every trade's collective agreement is posted online
http://employment.alberta.ca/apps/cba/search.asp
Let's stop **** measuring and get back to the intent of this thread.
1-5-3-6-2-4
Member
No I layed out some valid information, and got stuffed for it.
Our shovel rate is $56.39 hr you are a shovel operator makeing $56.76 hr. Yes that is pennies on the year.
The retention cycle is just 60 days away from 2 years in place. you havent been following very closely.
Lastly. Alco don't assume you know anything about my or why I came to work up here. Base rate means very little to me. Total earnings does, availablility of overtime. I've already cleared $100k this year so far, I'll be on the hook for a little better than $250k by the end of the year. There's no place else that I can pocket money like that for the amount that I'm asked to do here as a journeyman mechanic. Value to me is based on dollars earned versus effort put forth. That's why I'm here.
Our shovel rate is $56.39 hr you are a shovel operator makeing $56.76 hr. Yes that is pennies on the year.
The retention cycle is just 60 days away from 2 years in place. you havent been following very closely.
Lastly. Alco don't assume you know anything about my or why I came to work up here. Base rate means very little to me. Total earnings does, availablility of overtime. I've already cleared $100k this year so far, I'll be on the hook for a little better than $250k by the end of the year. There's no place else that I can pocket money like that for the amount that I'm asked to do here as a journeyman mechanic. Value to me is based on dollars earned versus effort put forth. That's why I'm here.
I have no reason, or desire to follow your agreement, as it has no bearing on me in any way. I was simply stating that last go round, the retention was much lower for you folks. I really am happy for you that it has gone up.
For the record, I have no reason to assume anything about you, nor have I done so. I simply pointed out that there are even better compensation deals up here than you have, no need to get all tied in a knot over it. If I wanted to work the overtime, I could easily do similar numbers to what you mention. For me however, I work a very minmal number of overtime hours, because I value my time off far more than the money I could make by working all the time. To each their own.
For the record, I have no reason to assume anything about you, nor have I done so. I simply pointed out that there are even better compensation deals up here than you have, no need to get all tied in a knot over it. If I wanted to work the overtime, I could easily do similar numbers to what you mention. For me however, I work a very minmal number of overtime hours, because I value my time off far more than the money I could make by working all the time. To each their own.
1-5-3-6-2-4
Member
Thank you, see your veiw point on work and station in life is not the same as mine. You say you don't follow the stats here, yet you say yours is better. Can you appreciate the fact, I am not looking for another job. I have never worked for a union before Suncor, and I don't mind it. This guy, the original poster asked about rates, I gave some current rates. I didn't ask for a lesson in how you think Syncrude is better.
I wasn't giving a lesson in why Syncrude is better, simply stating that there are other places that pay even more than you were stating....that's all. You totally mistook what I was saying and how I was saying it. Maybe you should take some time off and relax, you seem to be wound a bit tight.
Well you guys are making my 24 an hour for finish blade look like crap thanks.
Have a look at the cost of living in TX .
Then have a look at the gorgeous palatial single wide estate half a million dollars will buy you in Ft McMurray
http://www.realtor.ca/propertyDetails.aspx?propertyId=11879009&PidKey=-369468868
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They make 3 times as much, but your true cost of living is 1/3...you are not as far behind as you think.
When was the last time you paid $5/gallon for gasoline?
CM1995
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Thank you for explaining the difference in cost of living engi, a lot of folks just see the wage per hour and don't realize that 9 times out of 10, the expenses rise with the wage. Sometimes it causes dissension on the board by not understanding the cost of living differences.
Old Junk Man
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the Mexicans have got the operator wage down to the minium wage here in Arkansas. There are almost no union jobs in Arkansas and most of the Missouri Ozarks. There simply is plenty of help and very few jobs. The towns are dying. But things are looking up there building hundreds of stinking chicken grower houses. And A chicken processing plant that will hire a 1,000 green card Mexicans. Yippie!
Old Junk Man
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Thats something to consider. Wages in Arkansas are low. So are property taxes. I bought gasoline for $1.81 yesterday. The bottom line if your a employer or employee it isn't how many dollars you gross it,s how much you get to keep. I know two sawmillers one has semi trucks skidders big automated sawmill a dozen employees and is deep in debt and going broke. the other has a portable band saw mill. and a bobcat tows it to the logs behind his ton truck. and saws them up. no employees no workmens comp and social security taxes to pay. and he make,s a good profit no debt and no worries He does ok. He can saw on a 40 acre tract for a year. the other guy has to find 80 acres every month. they both get $27 for a rail road tie. the funny thing is the guy who has the band saw mill used to own the big mill. went broke and the bank repoed it! and this present owner took it over and refinanced his house to buy a big debt .
CM1995
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The problem in the US that is is driving the cost of wages down is there are more workers than positions generally speaking. Now there are hot spots as there always are for employment but overall the law of supply and demand rules economics and we are experiencing that.
Furthermore it's not just the "Mexicans" that are driving the cost of wages down. The flood of unskilled people entering the US work force from all over the globe in addition to citizens here looking for a job, is adding to this swing in supply vs. demand, along with a soft economy - it's a double edged sword.
Now we have a very strong policy here on HEF against political discussions as well as derogatory speech and we Mods hold that line very tightly. We can discuss the current state of wages, what the going rate of our services are or should be and anything else that has to do with HE or construction but we're not going down the rabbit hole of politics nor xenophobia, that's best left for other avenues on the internet and there are plenty of them, just not here on HEF.:cool2
Well .... Most equipment operators like fried chicken at dinner time
People like to eat ..... The more livestock growers we have in house the better in my opinion .
It's good for all business in the area , farmers , excavating contractors , carpenters will prosper and new people will move in to the community to work in the processing plant . It's just what it is ...... Economics